Impressive Doire Colmcille march on with victory over Drum at Owenbeg

Drum 0-6

Doire Colmcille 1-10

Doire Colmcille have their sights firmly set on the quarterfinals of the Junior Championship after a very impressive showing against Drum at Owenbeg.

The city side certainly took their time to get going in this one, not making a dent in the score until 20 minutes in, but when they did, they didn’t look back. They hit five successive scores to lead by three at the break, and that momentum continued into the second period. Led by the combative Dee Curran, this young Colmcille side showed hunger, energy, and plenty of fight, knowing what a victory would mean. It means they can now go into their final game against Glack all but certain of a place in the quarters, and based on this showing they will have reason to believe they can go even further than that.

In contrast, this was yet another disappointing day for Drum, who desperately needed the victory to keep their slim hopes alive. The seven-time Junior Championship winners started the game well, but, unable to add to their early scores, they were asking for trouble, and when Colmcille finally got going, Drum had no answer, psychologically or physically as they became second best in all aspects. This was a fourth defeat of the Championship and one too far for Drum, who also finished the game with 14 men following the very late dismissal of Lorcan McVey.

Positive start

In the second of two games at Owenbeg on Sunday, Colmcille started with great intent, but it was Drum who picked off the early scores, Padhraic Farren opening the scoring in the opening minutes.

Drum lost Damien Brolly to injury after just two minutes, but his replacement Rory O’Hara, made an immediate impact by doubling his team’s lead with a monster score from deep. Just five minutes in and Drum were looking in decent shape, but early impressions often don’t last and they wouldn’t find another score until ell into the second half.

Colmcille lost their way a bit after their direct start went unrewarded, but they should have had the ball in the net on nine minutes when Watson set David Quigley away on goal. Racing in from the right with just the goalkeeper to beat, it looked a certain goal for Colmcille, but Quigley powered his shot right past the goalkeeper, across the face of the net and wide.

The city side were working hard but not looking much of a threat overall throughout the first period, while Drum were looking more likely at the other end, Oisin McCloskey seeing an effort come back off the post.

Drum then nearly had a goal, when Michael Farren played in Caolan McLaughlin but he was denied by the legs of goalkeeper Aodhan Campbell. It was frustrating but nonetheless encouraging for Drum.

But the game turned on its head in the final 10 minutes of the half and Drum were dizzied by a three-point blitz in three minutes which saw them go from comfortably leading to suddenly losing. Colmcille hit five in succession overall before the break, Etah Cooper getting them going at long last, before Joe McCartie and Malachy Campbell made it 0-2, 0-3. Campbell’s should have been a goal as he raced through against Eunan O’Hara, but he sliced his effort over the bar. A John McCorry free and one from Campbell had Colmcille stretch their lead and Drum went into the changing rooms at half time not understanding what had just happened.

Half Time 0-2, 0-5

Tiarnan McKeever got Colmcille off and running very early after the restart, and that was followed by a good score from Ciaran Curran. By this stage, Colmcille were quicker to the ball and sharper in possession the early stages and Drum were in danger of falling irreparably behind.

It looked like it was mission impossible when the Colmcille goal came less than 10 minutes after the restart. A quickly taken free set McCorry away and he showed great determination to get his shot away, firing the ball into the roof of the net to make it 0-2, 1-7.

Drum finally got back on the scoresheet when they hit three without replay, Dylan Newland scoring successive frees before Rory O’Hara followed with a free of his own.

Yet Drum were never really in contention of mounting a comeback, lacking the belief and certainly the energy they needed to put any kind of pressure on the Colmcille back line in the closing stages.

Scores from Ciaran Curran, Campbell and Cooper kept the distance between the teams in the final minutes, and that meant that Niall Burke’s late score was nothing but consolation for Drum, who were well beaten.

That wasn’t the last action though as McVey’s red card in stoppage time ended the game on a sour note for Drum, whose Junior Championship has now come to a conclusion.

Scorers

Drum: Niall Burke (0-1), Padhraic Farren (0-1), Dylan Newland (0-2, 2f), Rory O’Hara (0-2, 1f).

Doire Colmcille: Dee Watson (0-1), Ciaran Curran (0-2), Ethan Cooper (0-2), Malachy Campbell (0-2), Tiarnan McKeever (0-1), John McCorry (1-1, 1f), Joe McCartie (0-1).

Teams

Drum: Eunan O’Hara, Francis Murphy, Alex Moore, Niall Burke, Jack Moore, Conor Hassan, Kevin O’Reilly, Damien Brolly, Michael Farren, Dean Mulhern, Padhraic Farren, Oisin McCloskey, Lorcan McVey, Caolan McLaughlin, Dylan Newland.

Subs: Rory O’Hara for Damien Brolly 2’.

Yellow: Damien Brolly 37’, Oisin McCloskey 48’, Caolan McLaughlin 60’.

Red: Lorcan McVey.

Doire Colmcille: Aodhan Campbell, Ben Smyth, Fearghal McAnaney, Eamonn Gillen, Eamon McDaid, Dee Watson, Tommy McBride, Ciaran Curran, David Quigley, Ethan Cooper, Malachy Campbell, Tiarnan McKeever, John McCorry, Joe McCartie, Matthew Carlin.

Subs: Christopher McCann for Tiarnan McKeever 51’, Phil Duffy for David Quigley 57’, Conor Doherty for John McCorry 59’, Conall Rooney for Ethan Cooper 60’.  

Yellow: David Quigley 37’, Ciaran Curran 49’, John McCorry 49’,  

Referee: Eoin Connolly.